Isabela stepped outside onto the porch, sporting a ponytail for once over her ever iconic ballerina bun, a few wavy tendrils framing her face. She cast her glance across the backyard to see her various new housemates in various states of what Eda would call fun, but Isabela would classify as one step away from chaos.
The sprinklers were going off, causing it to look a good sun shower was currently in full swing, which Isabela mistook as an actual shower at first. Gus was running wild, hands over his head as he laughed, still fully clothed in a pair of jeans and a flannel they had picked up from the thrift store and getting himself completely wet – yelling something about artificial human rain.
Willow was laughing as well, but she was seated at the edge of the lawn, just out of reach of the sprinklers and only getting lightly dusted by the water. Luz was attempting to weave between the droplets of water, pulling Amity behind her, the two of them getting just as wet as Gus. Their various palisman sat on the porch, watching between the pegs of the railing with looks of amusement. Hunter was the only one in the clear of the sprinklers, as he was sitting on the steps of the backyard, his back to Isabela.
Isabela smiled at the sight. It had only been a week and a half since they had landed in the human realm, and it had also only been a few days since the Demon Realm kids to even become comfortable enough to step into the backyard. All of them were nervous that they would be seen by someone with their pointed ears, and they would be immediately found out. It had taken much prodding from Camila, Luz, Isabela, and Vee to get them to see that the backyard at the very least would be safe.
Speaking of Vee, Isabela heard a gasp behind her, and soon a newly transformed into a Luz look-alike Vee was rushing past her to join in the fun. Vee started running around with Gus, hair blowing in the wind. Isabela giggled at her newest sister's excitement. She had only known Vee a little while, but Isabela could already tell Vee was going to make a wonderful addition to their little family. Vee was so sweet and kind, and she was still reaching out to give love and receive it after everything she had been through.
Isabela walked to Hunter on the steps and sat down next to him.
"Not joining in the fun?" Isabela asked. Hunter shrugged.
"Don't want to get my new clothes yet," Hunter answered. Camila, Isabela, and Luz had gone shopping for the Demon Realm residents, picking up the necessities they would need since they couldn't stay in the clothes they came in forever. Camila was making tentative plans to take the four of them to a local store next week, hoping that they would be ready to go into public by then.
"We can always wash them," Isabela pointed out. "'Asides, they barely fit you."
It was true. They had overshot Hunter's measurements in width, not realizing how skinny he really was. He was a gaunt fellow underneath it all, and so the clothes they got him were nearly swallowing him whole.
Hunter bit the inside of his cheek nervously, looking amongst their friends wistfully.
"Camila really wouldn't mind?" he asked in a small voice. Isabela smiled at him.
"If anything, my mom would encourage it," Isabela insisted. "She's all about having fun when the need arises."
Hunter still didn't seem sure. Isabela stood up, reaching out a hand to him in invitation to join the others. Hunter hesitated, hand hovering over Isabela's for a moment, but then he took the offered hand. Isabela took that as confirmation that he wanted to go into the sprinklers with the others. Isabela grinned wickedly and pulled him to full standing, running out into the sprinklers.
The cold droplets hit Isabela and she smiled at the refreshing break from the late summer heat. She continued to pull Hunter behind her as she rushed between the sprinklers, her bare feet being tickled by the grass. Hunter wasn't barefoot like her, wearing a pair of green flip flops from the dollar store, something that Isabela never thought in a million years would ever be on the feet of the former Golden Guard.
Isabela witnessed a small blur rush past her, and then Hunter's hand in hers was gone. She turned to see Gus had tackled Hunter to the ground, Gus laughing wildly as he did so. Well, there went his clothes, Isabela supposed. Now they were covered in mud and dirt.
Isabela snickered at the confused look on Hunter's face. Apparently, the famed warrior that was the Golden Guard had not been expecting an ambush from his friend.
"You'll pay for this Augustus!" Hunter said, the tips of his ears turning red in anger. Gus laughed as Hunter got enough bearings to reach for him, grabbing hold of his shirt and pulling him down to the ground with Hunter.
Isabela did not have her guard up enough, however, as the next thing she knew, she was being pushed face first into the ground. Isabela hit the grass with a grunt, likewise, getting covered in mud.
"Luz Noceda!" Isabela screeched, not even having to look to see that it was her little sister that had pushed her to the ground. Luz let out a light laugh and Isabela sat up, turning around to see her sister laughing, nearly red in the face from laughter. Amity stood nearby, trying and failing to hold in a laugh. Vee was not even trying.
Isabela reached for the ground, gripping onto a fistful of mud and then smearing it across Luz's cheek.
"Isa!" Luz whined, trying to get away from Isabela.
"Not so fast, hermana," Isabela teased, reaching over to smear her other cheek. Amity rushed forward and helped Luz to her feet.
"I'll save you Luz!" Amity said. Isabela looked back to see Hunter, who was still on the ground, Gus standing over him, victorious, having risen from where Hunter had pulled him down. Isabela titled her head to the side in a wordless question. Hunter nodded in answer. Both of them buried their hands deep into the ground, pulling out two handfuls of dirt, mud, and grass.
And then, The Great and Muddy Battle of the Noceda Backyard began.
Isabela and Hunter released their handfuls of mud, slinging them towards their targets of vengeance.
"Mud fight!" Willow called, and finally rushed into the fray.
Nearly an hour passed in muddy wonder and joy. Mud and dirt flew from every direction, covering both human and witch in the watery brown substance. The palisman on the porch gave various sounds of joy when their bonded hit someone else and groans when they were also hit.
By time Camila found the lot of them, the sprinklers had long since gone off.
"My, my!" Camila said, chortling. "Looks like you all had some fun."
As if like the magic they once used freely, a dour mood fell over the group of teenagers. Guilty ears turned pink and shameful eyes would not meet each other's gazes. How could they be having fun while their loved ones were suffering? How could they get sidetracked from their mission – getting home?
Camila sensed the mood change and she stepped forward, the porch steps creaking beneath her boots. Isabela hugged her arms to herself, unable to look at her mother. Or anyone, really.
"It's alright," Camila assured them. "Everyone needs to take a break and have some fun everyone once in a while. I'm sure your families would love to know you weren't running yourselves ragged."
At the mention of family, Hunter blinked and stared off in the distance, as if seeing something that was not there. Isabela reached out a hand to put on his shoulder but then hesitated, pulling it back to herself. Isabela struggled sometimes with what to do or say around Hunter, as she never knew quite how to help him. She supposed maybe just being there was enough, but it did not feel that way sometimes.
"Now," Camila said, clapping her hands together, "let's get you all into the shower, before that mud cakes on your clothes and skins."
There was probably a spell they could cast that would clean them off more effectively and quickly, but everyone was more than ready for a distraction from their guilt, so they quickly shunted off to the two showers at the suggestion of Camila. Gus and Willow went first, being the dirtiest, and then followed by Luz and Amity. Vee went after them, leaving Hunter and Isabela on the back porch alone, as they were banished to the backyard until time for their shower to keep the dirt from getting everywhere.
For a long time, they just sat quietly on the porch, fiddling with their thumbs and whispering back and forth with their respective palisman. Algernon looked up at Isabela and tooted their horn, letting Isabela know that he thought that she needed to speak to Hunter.
Say something! Don't be a stranger!
Isabela pursed her lips. She felt like she should say something, as the shame was still palpable. Her mother did have a point; they could not spend all their time on the portal door. They would get burnt out and that would only hurt their efforts in the long run. It was alright to have some fun.
(That didn't stop the guilt rising in her as she thought about Eda, King, Lilith, and Hooty.)
Algernon gave her another expectant look, and Isabela sighed and looked to Hunter, who was on the other side of the porch with Flapjack on his shoulder, gazing downward.
"So, uh," Isabela coughed, Hunter looking up, "how are you liking the Human Realm?"
Hunter shrugged, Flapjack popping up to flitter by his shoulder.
"It's, uh, different from home," Hunter answered.
"Good different or bad different?" she prodded.
"Just…different," Hunter settled on, and Isabela could understand. The Demon Realm at first had seemed strange and frightening, but after being there awhile, she learned it wasn't so scary as it was different. Their culture was different, and their technology had developed in a different way because in many ways they had their magic to compensate. Their ecosystem was even different, with all the different creatures that called the Boiling Isles home.
"What would you say is the strangest thing you've encountered?" Isabela asked, trying to keep the conversation light. She petted Algernon once on the head.
"Probably…..Pop-Tarts," Hunter admitted. Isabela could not help the little laugh that rose in her throat.
"Pop-Tarts?" Isabela said. Hunter nodded seriously.
"The box says there are so many different ways to eat them," Hunter explained solemnly. "You can toast them in something called a toaster, freeze them, or just eat them straight out of the package. And I heard some song from Luz's phone about putting butter on it? Plus, they come in so many flavors! I don't know, it's just a little confusing."
Isabela supposed that made sense. How confused had she been by Apple Blood and Fairy Pie when she arrived in the Demon Realm?
"When you put it like that, yeah, I get it," Isabela agreed. "I can show you all the ways to eat a Pop-Tart, if you want."
Hunter smiled. It was one of the few genuine smiles they could coax out of the former Golden Guard.
"I might just take you up on that offer," Hunter said. Isabela smiled in return at him.
"What are friends for?"
Hunter turned solemn again, lips thinning into a line and head tilting to the side.
"Are we friends?" Hunter asked quietly. Isabela blinked. She wasn't aware there was doubt in Hunter's mind that they were friends.
"Of course," Isabela answered quickly, lest Hunter think she needed to consider it. She scooted over to him and took his muddy hand in hers. "Hunter, don't ever doubt I'm your friend, okay? That any of us are your friends. We care about you. I care about you. You risked your life for me on the Day of Unity, for all of us. You faced your greatest nightmare for us, you faced your uncle for us." She squeezed his hand once gently. "Just….we're friends, okay? Hold onto that."
Hunter looked at her for a long moment, emotions unreadable, before he nodded and squeezed her hand back.
"I've never been good at the friend thing," he admitted. "But I think I like having friends."
"Especially when you have such wonderful friends like us," Isabela said, flipping her hair dramatically, fake bravado in her voice. Hunter rolled his eyes.
"And humble ones, too, it seems," Hunter joked. Isabela grinned and opened her mouth to say something, when Camila called to her from the door.
"Mija, Amity is out, you can use the shower now!" Camila said, popping her head outside the door. Isabela smiled and stood, letting go of Hunter's hand. His hand was nice to hold, Isabela decided, she missed it once she let go of it.
"See you in a few," Isabela said as parting, walking into the house.
She heard Flapjack chirp something behind her and then Hunter tell him to 'shut up' in a not so-angry voice, and as she walked towards her room to get some new clothes, she wondered what Flapjack could have said.
*Zelda meme inserted here* it's my birthday, i choose which stories get the update.
but the owl house has taken up brain rot in my head, and i wanted to explore isabela some more. still undecided how far I'm going to take this, but hey, just having some fun.
Questions, comments, concerns? Let me know! Have a blessed day!
-PrincessChess